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Rodman became the highest-profile American to meet the North Korean dictator since he inherited power from father Kim Jong Il in 2011. He is still talking about his fondness for the dictator since returning from the trip, telling the U.K. newspaper, “[Kim] doesn’t want to kill anyone — he wants to talk peace.”

During the visit, Rodman watched a basketball game with the authoritarian leader in late February and later drank and dined on sushi with him.

At Pyongyang’s Sunan airport on his way to Beijing after the North Korea trip ended, Rodman said it was “amazing” that the North Koreans were “so honest.” He added that Kim Jong Il and Kim Il Sung, North Korea’s founder, “were great leaders.”

Rodman’s visit to North Korea took place amid tension between Washington and Pyongyang. North Korea conducted an underground nuclear test just three weeks ago, making clear the provocative act was a warning to the United States to drop what it considers a “hostile” policy toward the North.

The State Department distanced itself from Rodman’s visit and his praise for Kim, saying he doesn’t represent the United States.

“The North Korean regime has a horrific human rights record, quite possibly the worst human rights situation in the world,” spokesman Patrick Ventrell told reporters in Washington last month. He accused the regime of depriving their people of food, shelter, water and maintaining prison gulags.

Ventrell also took aim at Pyongyang for its grand treatment of the visiting basketball stars.

“Clearly you’ve got the regime spending money to wine and dine foreign visitors, when they should be feeding their own people,” he said.